This study assessed the socio-demographic characteristics and the characteristics of therapeutic adhesion of 27 bearers of arterial hypertension undergoing ambulatorial treatment who had hypertensive urgencies crises or emergencies in the city of Fortaleza in the period between October of 2002 and May of 2003. The majority were women, between 50 and 60-years old, with little formal education, treatment time shorter than 5 years and time of diagnosis varying from 5 to 10 years. The use of medicine was the treatment that was most mentioned, followed by the reduction of the consumption of salt and attendance to medical appointments. However, attending the appointments and receiving orientation did not seem to change their behavior, since most of the patients that were interviewed practiced no physical exercises and demonstrated little knowledge of the illness, for they attributed the rise of the arterial pressure to emotional factors.